Campus Parking Lot Safety Checklist

Campus Parking Lot Safety Checklist

Before arriving

• Put valuables out of sight before reaching campus, not after parking.
• Set navigation before entering campus streets. Adjusting it while circling for a space adds unnecessary distraction.
• Know which lot or garage you are using. Unfamiliar lots take longer to navigate and increase the chance of making a rushed decision.
• Check whether the lot requires a permit, app payment, or timed entry. Rules vary by campus and by lot.
• If you recently hit a curb, pothole, or parking stop hard, check the tire visually before the next drive. If a TPMS light appears, check tire pressure before commuting again.

When entering the lot or garage

• Put the phone down before entering. Lot entrances often have pedestrians, barriers, ticket machines, and low-clearance signs.
• Slow down immediately. Speed limits in campus garages are typically very low.
• Use headlights in garages, even during daylight hours.
• Watch for cyclists and scooters entering from bike lanes alongside the entrance.

Before parking

• Do not cut through empty spaces at speed to reach another row.
• Do not race for a space or block a moving lane while waiting.
• Park in a visible, well-lit area when possible, particularly at night or during extended stays.
• Do not park in fire lanes, accessible spaces, EV charging spaces, bus zones, loading zones, or emergency access routes, even briefly.
• Check for permit restrictions, time limits, and overnight rules before leaving the car for the day.

Before leaving the car

• Confirm valuables are hidden or removed.
• Check that headlights are off if the car does not have automatic shutoff.
• Lock the vehicle every time, including short stops.
• Take all keys. Do not leave a spare key in the car.
• Note where the car is parked: lot number or letter, level, and nearest sign or marker. Campus lots can look alike, especially at night.

When walking from the car

• Keep the phone away while walking through the lot. Distracted pedestrians are harder for drivers to predict and harder to protect.
• Walk in designated paths when available. Avoid walking directly behind reversing vehicles.
• Use campus escort or safe-walk programs if walking to a distant lot at night and the service is available.

When returning to the car

• Have keys ready before reaching the car, not after arriving at the door.
• Notice whether anything looks different from when you left: windows, door position, nearby vehicles.
• If the car has been damaged or broken into, do not disturb the scene more than necessary. Take photos and call campus police or public safety.
• Do not sit in a parked car for a long time with doors unlocked, particularly in an isolated area.
• If you feel unsafe, contact campus security, use a campus emergency phone, or return to a building.

Before backing out or pulling away

• Check all mirrors and blind spots before moving.
• Back out slowly. Pause when the rear of the car enters the traffic lane so other drivers and pedestrians can react.
• Watch for people walking behind the car. Pedestrians and cyclists can appear quickly between parked vehicles.
• Do not use the phone while backing out.

During bad weather or at night

• Use headlights in rain, snow, fog, dusk, and early morning, including inside garages.
• Walk slowly in icy lots. Painted lines, curbs, and wheel stops can be covered by snow or ice.
• Know campus snow emergency parking rules before the first significant snowfall.
• Clear all windows before moving. Side windows and the rear window affect visibility when backing out of a lot.

Driving Safely in Campus Lots and Garages

Campus lots have different risks than public streets. Foot traffic is higher, sight lines are shorter between parked vehicles, and some drivers are unfamiliar with the layout. Pedestrians do not always use designated paths, and cyclists and scooters can appear quickly from unexpected directions.

• Drive slower than you would on an open street. Posted garage speed limits exist for practical reasons, not as suggestions.
• Stop fully at crosswalks and pedestrian crossings, including unmarked crossings near building exits and bus stops.
• Be especially careful at class change times, near residence halls, dining facilities, and building exits.
• Slow down before garage ramps and blind corners. If visibility is blocked, be ready to stop before entering the next aisle.
• Do not use the phone while circling for a space, entering, backing out, or pulling away.
• Do not assume a lot aisle is one-way unless signed. Two-way travel is common in wide campus lots.

Phone Distraction in Parking Lots

Set navigation and audio before entering campus. Once on campus streets or in a lot, the phone stays down until the car is parked and off.

Parking lots feel slow and low-risk, which is when attention tends to drop. Checking a message while backing out of a campus space carries the same problem as checking it on a road, with pedestrians closer and reaction distances shorter.

• Do not read or send messages while circling a lot or waiting for a space to open.
• Do not use the phone while backing out. This includes hands-free voice functions that require navigating menus.
• Do not check notifications while walking through the lot.
• Pull into a legal parked space and stop fully before adjusting audio, navigation, or climate settings.
• Built-in infotainment screens can be just as distracting as a phone when used while moving. Adjustments wait until the car is stopped.
• Passengers can help with navigation only if it does not create more conversation or back-and-forth than the original problem.

NHTSA describes visual and phone-related distraction as a driving risk because any non-driving activity takes attention away from the driving task. In a parking lot, that loss of attention matters because pedestrians, cyclists, and reversing cars are close by.

Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Scooter Awareness

Campus lots often have more pedestrian movement than nearby public streets, and it is less predictable. Students cut between parked cars, emerge from behind large vehicles, and move in groups during class changes.

• Expect pedestrians to step out from between parked cars. This is common near residence halls, dining facilities, and libraries.
• Cyclists and scooters may move at angles that do not follow car traffic patterns. Do not assume they will use the same travel lanes.
• Campus buses and shuttle vans can stop suddenly. Allow extra following space behind them.
• Do not assume pedestrians see the car. Reversing vehicles can be hard to hear when students are wearing earbuds, which is common on campus.
• Back out slowly and pause once the rear of the car is visible from the traffic lane. This gives pedestrians and cyclists time to react.
• If backing out is blocked by a large vehicle next to you, pull forward slightly, then back out slowly so others can see the car approaching the lane before you fully exit the space.

Theft Prevention and Personal Safety Around Vehicles

Campus lots can be busy or empty depending on the time of day. The steps below apply in both situations.

• Lock the vehicle every time, including short stops during loading or unloading.
• Take keys with you. Do not leave a spare key inside the car or under the vehicle.
• Remove or hide backpacks, laptops, wallets, purses, phone chargers, sports gear, and packages before arriving. Items hidden after parking are still visible to anyone who watched from another car.
• Do not leave the car running unattended.
• Park in a visible, well-lit area when possible, particularly during extended stays and at night.
• Have keys ready before reaching the car on the return.
• Do not sit in a parked car for a long time distracted, with doors unlocked, particularly in an isolated part of a lot.
• Use campus escort or safe-walk services if walking to a remote or poorly lit lot at night and the service is available at your campus.
• Report suspicious activity to campus public safety if it is safe to do so. Do not confront anyone or attempt to intervene.

Bad Weather and Night Parking

Campus lots are often treated after main roads during snow and ice events. A cleared campus road does not mean a cleared parking lot.

• Walk slowly in icy lots. Painted lines, curbs, and wheel stops can be hidden under snow or ice.
• Check campus snow emergency parking rules before the first significant snowfall. Lots that are normally available can be restricted or closed for plowing, and towing during snow emergencies is common on many campuses.
• Use headlights in rain, snow, fog, dusk, and early morning, including in garages.
• Clear all windows before driving, not just the windshield. Side windows and the rear window affect visibility when backing out of a lot.
• In hot weather, do not leave children or pets in a parked car. For more on this, see the hot car safety guide for children, pets, and parked vehicles.
• Keep a basic emergency kit in the car, particularly in winter. For a list of what to carry, see the winter car emergency kit checklist.
• At night, park in a visible, well-lit area when possible. Use campus escort or safe-walk services if available and walking to a remote lot.

Accessible Spaces, Fire Lanes, EV Chargers, and Bus Zones

Blocking restricted areas has practical consequences beyond a ticket or tow.

• Do not park in accessible spaces or access aisles without a valid permit. Access aisles next to accessible spaces are not extra parking; they allow accessible vehicle deployment.
• Do not stop in fire lanes or emergency access routes, even briefly. Emergency vehicles need these routes available at all times.
• Do not park in bus stops or shuttle zones. Buses may stop without warning, and blocking a stop creates a hazard for passengers boarding or exiting.
• Do not occupy EV charging spaces unless actively charging and within any time limits set by campus rules.
• Do not block loading zones or residence hall move-in areas. Campus vehicle access patterns are more complex during high-traffic periods.
• Check campus rules for short-term stops, rideshare pickup, delivery, event parking, and snow restrictions. These often differ from everyday lot rules.

For Students, Staff, and Visitors

For students

• Save campus parking and public safety numbers before the semester starts. After-hours situations do not allow time to search for contact information.
• Know whether your campus offers after-hours motorist assistance and how to reach it.
• Do not drive after late classes, late exams, long work shifts, or events if you are too tired to stay alert.

For staff and faculty

• Allow extra time near lots during class change periods. Foot traffic near building exits can be high for several minutes around the hour.
• Know visitor and event parking patterns. Lots that are normally light can fill quickly during orientations, games, or campus emergencies.
• Report unsafe lighting, missing or obscured signage, untreated ice, or other recurring hazards to campus facilities or parking services.

For visitors

• Plan parking before arrival. Driving through a campus searching for a space increases distraction and may take you into permit-only areas.
• Do not stop in a campus traffic lane to read a parking sign. Pull into a legal space or stop area first.
• Keep valuables out of sight. Campus lots serving visitor areas, athletics facilities, and cultural venues can attract opportunistic theft.
• Confirm whether payment, a permit, an app, or validation is required before parking. Rules vary by lot and by event.

For Campus Parking Resources

This checklist can be used as a simple reminder for campus parking pages, public safety tip sheets, commuter student guides, new student orientation materials, event parking guidance, and visitor information pages.

Parking Lot Safety Is Narrower Than Campus Driving

A student driver campus checklist covers the routine of keeping a car usable at school: tire pressure, warning lights, phone setup, seasonal readiness, emergency contacts, and after-hours help. It addresses the car itself as much as the driving situation.

A campus parking lot checklist is narrower. The focus is on what happens in and around lots and garages: pedestrian awareness, backing out safely, theft prevention, lighting, restricted zones, and what to do when something goes wrong in or near the lot. For the full campus driving routine, see the student driver campus car safety checklist.